What could never be
by DarkRose2009
Summary: What's Draco Malfoy's story and excuse to call Granger a Mudblood? Told in his Pov.
1. 1st Year

Summary : This is Draco's story, and who could his one true, real love be? Guess.

Disclaimer : I don't own HP, although I wish I owned Draco and Hermione, but I don't. Plot : inspired by many Dramione drabbles. But it's told from Draco's PoV. one-sided, DMHG!

It was Draco's 11th birthday. He just got the letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The Malfoys were having a big celebration for his birthday. The whole Manor was especially decorated for him, by his family's House-Elves.

"My boy's 11 today." Narcissa said, with tears in her eyes.

"Mother, I'm a big boy now. And I just got my letter from Hogwarts." He said with excitement in his juvenile eyes.

"Yes Draco. So you got your letter from Hogwarts, but I don't approve of you going there, I want to send you to Durmstrang Institute, where they don't allow such filth in their school."

"But Lucius, my Dragon would be so far away if you did that, please don't, for me, so I could be near him, and I could care for him as a Mother."

"You can just Floo or Apparate there, it's no real issue." said Lucius Malfoy, with resolution in his voice, that just won't be swayed by Draco's Mother's plea.

"No I can't, it's illegal if it's crossing borders, and Durmstrang is in Bulgaria. What if he didn't like the Bulgarian foods and everything else?" His Mother was truly concerned about his well-being, Draco could feel it in her voice. She has learned, as a married Malfoy, to no show any emotions, but she was a lady, and a mother who cared for her son, whereas, Lucius Malfoy, did care about his son too, but didn't dote on him like Narcissa did, with their son. And that was part of why Lucius and Narcissa often had fights on: how to bring up their only son. Lucius truly thought he did the best as he could for him : providing for him and bringing him up as a Pure-blooded Wizard. But his Mother wanted him to judge things for himself, to not be clouded by her husbands' opinions on things. But alas, it was impossible for his Mother to go against his Fathers' wishes, or else she would get black eyes sometimes if she did hold onto her opinion in the matter for too long.

And for Draco, 11 was when he didn't have to worry about his Father and Mother's fights about him. He was, after all, only a little kid still, but growing into a teenage boy. And his Father never asked him about his opinions, whether or not he wanted to go to Durmstrang or to Hogwarts. But he always heard his Father go on about how filthy Hogwarts was, with all it's Muggle-borns, even giants and other creatures such like Centaurs as teachers. Hogwarts he thought, was a place that accepted everyone and Durmstrang, was only for special Pure-Bloods like him.

But, as Narcissa was firmly against him going to Durmstrang, saying it was too far away for her to get information about how he was and everything, Lucius finally accepted that he went to Hogwarts, and not Durmstrang, under Narcissa's insistence.

"Well, it's decided, son, you'd go to Hogwarts, only mind you never talk to Muggle-filths, and do not sully the Purity of Blood in you. Don't you disgrace me by befriending Mudbloods and blood traitors once there."

But Draco had enough about his Father's prejudices against Muggle-borns and everything else. As he was already quite observant enough for his tender age of 11, and so he concluded to himself, after it was decided he would go to Hogwarts.

"_Just how far would Father go about blood purity? Would he kill all the Muggle-borns in the world to satisfy him like the Dark Lord?_"

But he didn't dare to question his Father's actions openly, so he kept it largely to himself. And when he really couldn't hold it anymore, he would have talks with his Mother in the evenings about it. His Mother, although in the exterior, was a cold-hearted woman, and hated on Muggle-borns, and even called them Muggle-filths in public, he knew, deep down in her feminine heart, she didn't mind about the blood purity thing as much as his Father did. And he found her to be much more open-minded about his ideas about them. And so that was how Mother and son found solace and help in each other, when Lucius would just punish either for speaking their honest mind.

Draco, impatient about going to Hogwarts, practiced minor spells such as "Lumos", with his wand. His wand was a gift from his Father's, for his 11th birthday. He still had about two months before school started. It wasn't illegal to do magic in the Wizarding World, and as there were no Muggles around the Malfoy Manor, there wasn't any risk for any of them to catch him doing spells with his wand. If Draco lived in a Muggle borough like The-boy-who-lived, he would have been fined for doing magic illegally, because there was a chance Muggles would see him. But there were none in his area, so he did magic to his heart's content. He already was taught by his father some spells the first years studied at Hogwarts, so he practiced them on objects and such to occupy his free time.

Finally, one day, Lucius was home and Narcissa too, and he was bored ouf of his mind, and so they brought him to Diagon Alley to buy his school supplies and robes for school. Draco was so hyper-excited that he couldn't sleep the night before. He was in Madam Malkin's Robes for all Occasions, and his Father was there with him. As he was so sure he would be in Slytherin, Lucius bought him some silver and green robes. And then, he saw a boy with a strange lightning scar on his forehead trying to find his robes as well and he was accompanied by a giant. He was just getting acquainted with the boy, by making an uncharitable speech about giants and how he as a Wizard, shouldn't be with one, and as his blabbing to him turned to how Muggle-borns weren't Wizards and Witches, he didn't notice the boy wasn't impressed by him and his Father was just done with paying and said :

"Draco, all right, if you found everything, let's go get your school supplies." Draco complied and didn't have more time for the boy with a giant in the uniforms' shop.

And Draco got everything he needed for Hogwarts, it was finally time for him to go on platform 9 and 3/4 and to be on the Hogwarts' Express after a farewell session with his parents.

"Draco, write to me when you can." said his Mother, almost crying.

"Narcissa, you stop that." Lucius told his emotional wife.

"I will Mother, see you in the Summer, Father."

"Goodbye, son."

As they waved good-bye to each other, Draco saw the boy with a scar again. But this time he was already with the Weasleys, in a random compartment on the train. He heard his name was Potter. "Is he really the Harry Potter? I must go and say hi to him." In truth, he was anxious to meet him, just like everybody else in the Wizarding world, and even somewhat admired him. And his Father expressly ordered him to make friends with The-Boy-who-lived.

"Potter, I see you already chose the losing side. Weasley, my god, your hair's even more red as they said. And what, Potter has to buy foods for you because you're too poor." He sneered at Ronald Weasley.

"Get away, Malfoy!" said Ron, who disliked him instantly. The Weasleys, he heard from his Father's mouth, were the biggest blood traitors ever and the Death-Eaters and the Dark Lord, when his Father was meeting them, were always deriding them and laughing at them for being too Muggle-loving.

"My name's Draco." As he introduced himself to Potter, Weasley snorted slightly.

"What you think my name's funny, do you eh? Well, I know who are, a Weasley, since all of you are red-haired. And Potter, let me help you choose your friends, you don't want to be associating with blood traitors and losers like him."

"I can choose my own friends, thank you very much. And you aren't one of them. Now please leave." And he left curtly, not saying another word to either of them, pride and ego hurt.

From that moment on, for him, Potter would be "scarehead" for him and Weasley would be "the Weasel." And like every first year, he rowed in the lake to the Castle and then was the Sorting Ceremony for him.

"I'm sure I'll be in Slytherin, because it only accepts Pure-bloods like me!" He was bragging to his childhood friends Nott and Zabini.

"Yes Draco, just wait until your turn."

And then the Sorting Hat called his name out:

"Malfoy, Draco!" And without hesitation, it shouted : "Slytherin!"

After the Sorting, it was flying lessons with the Gryffindors. He saw Neville broke his wrist and he was teasing him mercilessly, usually telling him he had no brains. Longbottom was the only other person in Gryffindor he usual snubbed, except for Pothead and Weasel, his sworn enemies in school. He now got his magic ball and sent it flying around. "Come and get it, Longbottom, if you want it back."

Potter went after it, and Mcgonagall came into the scene, reprimanding him severely. "Potter, you come with me now." He snickered at that.

"So, Potter, I bet you got detentions with Mcgonagall, right?"

"No, Mcgonagall didn't give me any, she didn't even take off points from Gryffindor. instead, guess what, I've been made youngest seeker on the Gryffindor team ever, so Malfoy, what do you say?" "_Oh damn, he hasn't been punished. Oh I know, I'll challenge him to a duel, and I won't go myself, this will get him a detention for sure. He won't be so arrogant afterwards_."

"Oh, that's great for you, Scarehead, I bet you're so proud of yourself now. Now I want to challenge you to a duel." He suddenly said, changing the topic, Potter's boasting about being the youngest Seeker in 100 years was getting on his nerves.

"I really don't think we should, Malfoy." said Potter reluctantly.

"Oh really, but I want to duel you."

"Why me? Why not someone else?"

"Because I want to beat the great Harry Potter." Somehow this worked on Potter.

"Then I accept."

"Who's going to be your Second? Mine's Crabe."

"I will be." Ron volunteered.

"So 12 P.M., in the Astronomy tower."

"Don't be late, Malfoy."

"Trust me, I won't."

But he didn't go to the duel, only wanting to cause trouble for Pothead and the Weasel. And to add to his good mood, he got the news from a Slytherin, they indeed got caught by Filch, the School's caretaker. He was snickering inwardly at them for falling for his trick.

And then he knew somehow they befriended Hermione Granger along the way, a Muggle-Filth, the very one who told them to not go to the duel, after saving her from a Mountain Troll in the dungeons and this was a mystery as to who let him in Hogwarts. He warned both the Weasel and Scarhead, she would be the first to be attacked by the Mountain Troll, as she was Muggle-filth and unfit to be in Hogwarts. But no, the Golden Duo, if they found her annoying at first, had to befriend her, much to his dismay, and thus included her in their Trio and she was, always their brains.

And even though, he always called Hermione Granger a Mudblood, numerous times, he couldn't help but being attracted to her at first sight, although he didn't know he thought she was pretty then, he just thought he was being ridiculous. And all he knew was that he could never get enough of her chocolate brown hair and warm brown eyes. But the only way for him to get close to her, was to be mean to her and call her a "Mudblood". He had no other way and he wasn't free to express his real thoughts about her. And so he hid it underneath his spiteful insults and his name-calling all year long. He did it so well, that Hermione really believed he thought she was beneath him. When in reality, he thought she was more than his equal in intelligence, even though she was a Muggle-born. And he called her Mudblood to please his Father only, or else he would get beatings for it when he was at home for vacations and whatnot.

_"What's wrong with me? Why do I need to pick on her always though_?" He was thinking out loud once he was alone in the Slytherin dormitory. But he didn't know he had a secret crush on her then, he was too young to know what that was. All he knew was that he felt the need to get her undivided attention, always. "_But why it has to be her?_" But even though in his heart he knew really liked her, he fooled himself into thinking he hated her being a Mudblood and all that.

And as he watched the Golden Trio's friendship grow, he competed with them as intensely as he could. With the Mudblood, he competed with her to get top marks in in every subject in school, and with Pothead because he rejected his friendship, he always made fun of his scar, mimicking it being hurt with his Slytherin "friends" and with the Weasel, he never failed to remind him how poor he was and how much of a "blood traitor" their whole family was.

But alas, when Professor Quirrell, to his shock, had been found to be Voldemort's servant and he was the one who sneaked in the Troll, and thus fired at the end of the year. Harry Saint Potter of course, successfully thwarted the Dark Lord's plans to use Nicholas Flamel's sorcerer's stone to get a full body and Gryffindor won the Quidditch Cup and the inter-House Championship. And this aroused more his determination to win the House-cup for Slytherin, and to see the Gryffindors' defeated faces.


	2. 2nd Year

Duelling was a popular, fun amusement amongst Pure-blood Witches and Wizards such as Draco, and so the whole Summer before going back to school, as he had nothing else to do, he invited his friends over to duel with. They of course, as Pure-bloods, knew more spells than the Muggle-borns and other students at Hogwarts, due to a bit of home-schooling. But in August, he duelled too much with his friends, and was a bit tired of it. So he decided to listen in, upstairs, and with "Sonorus", he was able to hear what his Father and the Death-Eaters were saying. Of course, his Father thought he was still duelling outside with Zabini, but Zabini was there too, listening in the adults' private conversation :

"Too risky a plan." His Father was saying. "_What plan_?" Draco asked himself.

"But, that's the plan, Lucius, think of the pain it would cause Ginevra Weasley, the little blood traitor."

"All right, fine, so I slip it into her school supplies, and she wouldn't suspect a thing."

"The Weasleys are all too dense to suspect anything, especially that one, Ginevra Weasley."

"What if anyone else notices it?"

"Well, there won't be enough evidence to prove it."

"Right then, it's decided." Draco couldn't know what they were talking about and he disapproved of his Fathers' doings, but couldn't of course, say it out loud. Only in his heart, he could think his Father was a criminal. He forced himself to concentrate on his Father and the Death-Eaters in his home :

"And the Chamber of Secrets will be opened this year, in your son's second year."

"How do you know and why and by whom?" His Father asked the Death-Eater.

"From a very reliable source and guess who. But I can't tell you why he's doing it, probably to spread terror amongst the Muggle-Borns in Hogwarts." But Lucius was too sharp to buy it, and the Death-Eater would not say anything more.

Draco, upon hearing it, decided to alert the Golden Trio with his own House-elf and to warn Pothead, and to tell him Hogwarts wasn't going to be safe for him, nor his friends, it was the only thing he could do for them just then. After the Death-Eaters left his house and his Father out, he sent for Dobby, his own House-Elf.

"You sent for me, Master Draco?" He said, as he bowed to his young master.

"Yes, Dobby, you'll need to warn Pothead about Hogwart's not being safe anymore for him, especially for Mudbloods like Granger and blood traitors like the Weasel." But Dobby the House-Elf didn't like what his young master called them, but dared not to say it, so he said instead :

"All right. I'll do it for you, Young Master Draco."

And this was why Harry Potter, in the Summer of 1992, got a House-Elf in his Muggle relatives' house, trying to tell him to not go to Hogwarts, but as stubborn as usual, Pothead resisted Dobby's words. And Draco heard he was tried for using "the Hovering Charm" illegally in a Muggle neighbourhood. But Harry's name was cleared, as Draco knew it would be, as Dumbledore was there for him at his hearing. And this was what made the him despise the Headmaster even more, because he was always on the Golden Trio's side, no matter that they've broken 50 school rules. But in school, his Godfather and his potions master doted on him, and as he noted, he detested the Mudblood and the Gryffindor male duo just as much as he did. He, from time to time, vented his frustrations about the Golden Trio to his Godfather, in his private study in the Slytherin dungeons. But Snape was able to see through his pretences.

"Draco, you're resentful because Potter rejected your friendship yes? And you pick on Granger more often because she has better grades than you in everything, although she's a Muggle-born?" But Snape was a little daft in love matters, he didn't know his Godson had just a tiny wee bit of crush on Hermione Jean Granger, although he convinced himself, after a year of thinking of her as the "Mudblood", that he truly hated her. He in fact, mistook his crush as hate at that time of the year.

"Yes, Uncle Sev. I am hurt because Pothead chose the Mudblood and the Weasel over me."

"Don't call her that, at least, not in front of me." He thought his Uncle Sev was a little strange.

"Fine, what should I call her then?"

"Call her a Muggle-born, I understand you must call her that in your Father's presence, but I won't judge you if you shared your real thoughts about Muggle-borns like her with me." said Snape.

"Yes, Uncle Sev. I will call her a Muggle-born for your sake." But he didn't take on his Godfather's offer to share his thoughts about Muggle-borns, too afraid his Uncle Sev might let it slip one day.

But things didn't really begin for him until Gilderoy Lockhart, the newly hired DADA teacher, famous for catching dangerous monsters and such, but turned out to be an incompetent fool, founded the Duelling Club in his 2nd year and he publicly duelled Potter, his arch-nemesis, a while after School started. Everyone, including Draco, found out Pothead was a Parselmouth, during the duel, when he had summoned a snake and Pothead controlled it with Parseltongue.

As for Quidditch, the Championship began after his duel with Potter. In his first year, he couldn't compete against The-boy-who-lived because he wasn't on his House team. But this time, he begged his Father to buy the whole Slytherin team Nimbus 2001 broomsticks, the fastest ones up-to-date, so he could be his team's Seeker and could rival Pothead, the Muggle-filths' Champion, in the Wizarding sport. And of course, after their first match, he knew who cursed the Bludger who was after Scarhead, it was a Slytherin 7th year, but, as he couldn't help the Golden Trio openly because of his Father, so he kept his mouth shut about it.

"So Potter, I think this Bludger likes you."

"Someone in your House probably cursed it." said Harry to his attempt at getting a rise out of him.

"Yeah yeah, always blaming the Slytherins for the bad things that's happening in Hogwarts."

"Well, the Slytherin House does have a bad reputation." This time, it was Granger, the Mudblood.

"Mudblood, don't you dare talk to me this way. You're Muggle-filth, you've sullied my blood just by being in my presence." Hermione, he could see, was truly hurt by him and he mentally cursed himself for it. "_Since when did I care about hurting her feelings?_" But he had gotten so used to calling her that, and he didn't think this would affect her anymore as he always thought she was a very strong girl, but it did affect her emotionally. And so Weasley, as her champion, as always, tried to hex him by telling him to "eat slugs", but since this wasn't a known hex or jinx, it backfired on him, making him vomit slugs instead and Draco saw with glee he had to be brought to the infirmary immediately.

And much to Draco's disappointment, the Quidditch Championship just had to be cancelled off, the Chamber of Secrets had been opened. It all began with the Weasel's sister, the Weaslette, finding out about blood writings on the walls; it threatened to purge all the Muggle-borns from the School : "_All the filth in Hogwarts will be cleansed_", it said. She must have followed it's trail down the Chamber to know it has been opened, he thought, since she was the one who informed Hogwarts' staff about it. And everyone suspected it was Potter who did it, simply because he could speak in Parseltongue. He thought they were being absurd since he knew it was the Heir of Slytherin who did it, but just who exactly was the Heir, he didn't know, but he didn't think it could be Potter. And so, when the Pothead and the Weasel, in Crabe and Goyle's forms, were interrogating him about him being the Heir of Slytherin, he told them honestly he wasn't the Heir. But he didn't know it was Granger's idea that they drank the Polyjuice Potion, and questioned him in his friends' shapes and the latter was now in the Hospital Wing, because she used a cat's hair, instead of Millicent Bulstrode's, to make her potion.

"Do you know who it is, Draco?"

"I don't know. But they say it's Potter, how could he be, just because he could speak in Parseltongue? I mean, he's always hanging around Mudbloods and blood traitors such as Weasley and Granger." He could have reported them there and then, for breaking School Rules and such, and to get them expelled. But it wouldn't be half as fun for him, if they weren't there. So he let them go when they pretended to have stomaches and such.

"What's wrong with you two?"

"Stomache. Must go to the bathroom now."

"Must have been your muffins in the morning. I've told you often to not eat anything, Crabe." Draco went along with their excuses, knowing it was Saint Potter and Weasley.

After that incident, Draco went around boasting about how the Mudbloods would be purged from the School. But truthfully, he was just as worried about Hermione Granger as her two best friends were. Once, he told her two best male friends :

"Well, your precious little Mudblood would the first to be gone, mark my words, after all, the Monster in the Chamber feeds only on dirty Mudbloods' flesh."

"I'm afraid it would be contaminated by my blood's impurity after it fed on me." said Granger, standing up for herself. He actually liked it whenever she defended herself against his taunting, because he hated seeing her so weak. He was becoming totally addicted to baiting her now, he did that to take his mind off more serious things like his marks and such. And he still couldn't think of a any other way to get her attention. "That's not the best way, but well, what more could I do, really? As a Death-Eater's son?"

Just a few while after their little skirmish, he learned several Muggle-borns had been Petrified by the Monster in the Chambers, namely Penelope Clearwater, the Weasel's older brother's girlfriend, and his very own Mudblood : Hermione Granger. As he grew more and more worried about her, he knew he felt something for her. "_But is it just a stupid crush or something deeper? No, I can't be crushing on the Mudblood, I just can't_. _If Father knew about this, he'd disown me straight away. And how she'd laugh at me if she knew about this!" _

And then, the Weaslette had gone missing for some time too, and he had an idea about where she could be, although he wasn't about to tell Potter and Weasley. Of course, after awhile, Potter, his arch-nemesis, and the Weasel figured out on their own she was down in the Chambers, and so they rescued her from there. And later on, he learnt it was all because Potter unlocked the Chamber of Secrets with his Parselmouth abilities, and once down there, was intelligent enough to use the Basilisk's fang to destroy the Dark Lord or Riddle's diary, so it would no longer possess her and because the Headmaster of Hogwarts told the School Governors she was possessed, so she wasn't framed for the Chambers' opening and the Muggle-borns' petrification, like the Death-Eaters initially intended just a month before school started. And then he discovered the Weasel's sister had been stupidly believing all the charming lies in the diary, and when it told her to go down the Chambers, she did it because her brains got washed by Riddle's personal journal. "_Her stupidity's phenomenal, the Mudblood wouldn't have fallen for this_." He thought to himself one night in the Slytherin dormitory, after learning why she had gone down there from her brother, Ronald Weasley.

Some things still irked him though, like how Gryffindor won the Housecup because Pothead and the Weasel got awards and extra points for special services to the School. And everybody in the school including him knew Gilderoy Lockheart had to go to St-Mungo's because he got Obliviated by the Weasel. "But I think the Weasel deserved his points since he truly did the School a great service. And I really wonder who's the DADA teacher going to be next year."

However, his Father told him Potter freed his personal House-Elf by trickily putting a sock in Dobby's belongings when his Father tried to "Avada Kedavra" him, and this infuriated him more than Gryffindor winning the Housecup and the Inter-House Quidditch cup 2 years in row. Gryffindor won against Slytherin because of his own stupidity in the final matches, he was trying too hard to bully Potter and so got distracted by it, and that was why he let Potter catch the Snitch before him for several matches.

"Just you wait, Potter, until next year. You took what's mine. I'll take it back from you."

And this added more to their already hostile relationship. And just then, he didn't know precisely why he held such a grudge against the Weasel and he explained it by telling himself it was because he stole Saint Potter's friendship from him. If The-Boy-who-lived didn't meet him first, he reasoned with himself, he would have chosen him over the poor Ronald Weasley. But in the back of his mind, he knew it was because the redhead was too close to the Mudblood for his taste. He called her a Mudblood still, after 2 years, but he thought of it as his particular term of endearment for her, rather than a spiteful insult, though, obviously, she didn't see it his way.


	3. 3rd Year

In his Summer chalet, Draco was reading the Daily Prophet for fun. He had done all his homework, the month of June, and he had the rest of his Summer to do fun things, such like reading, flying on broomsticks and etc. He was reading an article in the Daily Prophet about a murderer named Sirius Black breaking out of prison and Rita Skeeter said Dementors were doing their best to hunt him down. And as he was done reading the article, it was around dinner time with his parents.

"Oh so Sirius Black is out of prison, and the Dark Lord hasn't returned yet. Who broke him out of prison then? And he was trying his best to avoid a Dementor's kiss." And then, his Mother called him down to dinner. He knew who Sirius Black was of course, he was his Mother's disowned cousin, but he never knew where he was all these years because he was rarely talked about in his House.

"Well, well, Draco, my son, what do you think of Hogwarts? You've been 2 years there already. What do you think of it's teachers and etc?"

"If you ask me, Father, I think all teachers except my Uncle Sev are rubbish, especially Rubeus Hagrid, the one who teaches Care of Magical Creatures. And the Headmaster's just a Muggle-loving fool." But he mentally reminded himself that he was also drawn to a Muggle-born, so he was being a hypocrite by saying that, though he didn't have any freedom of opinions nor of speech in the Malfoy Manor.

"So, how come you've not had top marks in everything then? How come that Mudblood Granger beat you in some classes?" His Father asked him, arching an eyebrow at his son's criticisms of the school.

"Because well, she is the smartest witch of the year, after all. And she really studies more than I do, Father."

"Then I want you to study harder than she does, and to beat her in every test and assignments, do you hear me, my son? Or I'll disown you." He thought his Father would disown him this instant, if he knew about his secret feelings for the girl.

"Yes Father." Was all he could say.

"Lucius, am I hearing you saying you're going to disown him if he didn't beat Hermione Granger?"

"Yes, Narcissa, what?"

"Well, please don't put too much pressure on my dragon, I don't like it. And if you're really going to disown him, I'll divorce you too." She threatened her husband.

"You won't do it, Dear, or your parents will have something to say about it."

"It's true that they won't agree to it, and will tell me to obey your orders, but one day, when they die, I'll be free to do it." Draco thought his Mother was crazy, openly defying his Father this way.

"You dare defy me, Narcissa?"

"No, I daren't Lucius, I'll be your woman forever, but I don't want you to disown _my _son for his marks. Please."

"Say it again." Lucius dearly loved it when his wife begged him for their son's sake.

"_Please_, Lucius _don't._" Draco was furious about his Mother's powerlessness against his Father. And he too, was even weaker than his Mother. But at the very least today, she dared to stand up for him, which wasn't the case most of the time at home. He had to thank her later on for this.

But his thoughts often drifted to Hermione Granger, the Mudblood, and still didn't know what he felt for her exactly, but he was sure it wasn't hate, like he thought in 1st year. Then in his second year, as she got attacked by the Chamber's Monster, it dawned on him that he had feelings other than hate for her, however, he still didn't know exactly what. "_Is it true love, obsession or somewhere between love-hate?_" He was all muddled about this. But he indulged in these thoughts only when he was alone with himself, with no one else around.

In his own room now, he was free to think about her all he wanted and how he was forbidden to even be friends with her. "If Father knew, he'd disown me this minute. So I must burry it deep in my heart and only think about it when I'm alone with myself."

And since he was extremely talented with Occlumency, something his Aunt Bellatrix Lestrange had begun to teach him, a little before his 3rd year at Hogwarts. Aunt Bellatrix visited them all regularly after his few days in his family's countryside chalet, and she did so to give him private lessons on Occlumency and Legilimency, the highly difficult arts of blocking one's emotions, thoughts and etc from anyone else and of invading someone else's thoughts.

And these 2 months of Summer vacation flew by for him, as he had private Occlumency lessons with his Auntie Bellatrix. At times, Bellatrix punished him, for not doing well in every one of his lessons. He had headaches and migraines then, and only his Mother would notice it. And it was only when his Father was out, that she was able to help him with them.

"Ready for school, Draco and remember what I told you this Summer, beat that Mudblood Granger in every test, and if you don't, don't bother coming back home." His Father was just scaring him, he knew, he wouldn't really let him in the streets.

"Yes, Father." He said anyway.

School started mellow for Draco, but in one of his Care of Magical Creatures lessons, he injured his arm, so he wasn't able to play when the Quidditch season began in his 3rd year. He was in fact, injured by a Hypogriff he himself provoked. He told everyone in the class he was going to get his Father to file a lawsuit against the creature who wounded him.

"Just wait until my Father hears about it. He'll file a lawsuit against the creature for sure. And oh, by the way, Rubeus Hagrid won't be there for long as a teacher, Father will see that he gets sacked for it too."

"Malfoy, it was you who provoked the Hypogriff, he was only doing this in self-defence. Hagrid told us all so before and you intentionally provoked him to attack you." The Mudblood, he saw, wasn't afraid of him and he loved it when she was standing up for her ideals and morals. "_Boy, was she beautiful when she was this angry, but I must do something about her big, large teeth_. _I don't know why she just doesn't shrink them magically already. _" And so, that was why he tried to get her riled up some more :

"Mudblood, he injured me, a real Wizard. He ought to be executed and Hagrid fired, for letting that happen in one of his courses. And you'll have to prove your side of the facts." He said, waiting for her to react. But she didn't. She just walked away, promising him she will do everything in her power for the Hypogriff's defence in court.

He thereafter immediately sent a letter to his Father at home. Mr. Malfoy Sr. promised him he would be executed and that the Hypogriff's BuckBeak's trial, will be taking place in a month. In this month, he busied himself with lessons, because he couldn't really do any flying with his severely injured arm, and so he was a bit sourly to everyone in Slytherin. He still went to everyone of his classes of course, not daring to miss any of them, because his Father's words to him in the Summer were still on his mind. "_What if he really had the guts to do it if I don't beat her in every classes? What's he going to do to me if one awful day, I'm tied with her?_"

Although he couldn't play any Quidditch himself, because of his wounded arm, to amuse himself, once, he and some of his Slytherin friends disguised themselves as Dementors, just so Gryffindor could lose against Ravenclaw. But Potter cast a Patronus on them, thinking they were real Dementors, and Gryffindor won any way. "That Potter, who taught him the Patronus Charm?" He was unaware that Potter had private lessons with Lupin, his new DADA teacher.

And Draco wasn't aware Professor Lupin, who he detested, because the professor often helped Potter and co for some reasons, and even gave him detentions for making fun of other students in his class, was a werewolf, because his Godfather made him the wolfsbane potion, so he didn't transform and didn't need to go out there every full moon, like a normal werewolf would. He could of course, have gotten him sacked if really he did morph into a werewolf every full moon, but he didn't. He began to suspect him being one, after noticing some strange habits of his like him always sniffing the air and such. But he didn't have enough evidence against him, just then, it was just his own guessing. "_Well, any friend of the Golden Trio's my enemy. And he's obviously their friend, and so I must treat him as my enemy." _

The whole month he was unable to do anything else, but to gather evidence against his much hated DADA teacher, who he thought was unfairly giving him detentions and taking off Slytherin's Housepoints. But he couldn't catch him on the act of transforming into a werwolf, because unknown to him, his Uncle Sev, requested by the Headmaster, brewed him the Wolfsbane potion, so he wouldn't turn into a werewolf under every full moon. That made his gathering proof against Lupin difficult, so he gave up on trying to get him sacked for being a werewolf.

The month of physical inactivity was finally over for him and his arm was almost healed, under Madam Pomfrey's daily care and he was nearly boiling with anticipation, the night before Buckbeak's trial. He was so very sure the trial's outcome will be the Hypogriff's execution. The whole Slytherin house was talking about it. Pansy, he noted, was especially beaming with happiness for him.

"Drakie-poo, think about it, tomorrow, Buckbeack will be executed, you'll be avenged, finally." She cooed.

"It's still sad, Pans, think about it, I did provoke the Hypogriff, like the Mudblood said."

"Oh My Drakie-Poo, so _noble _and _kind-hearted_, feeling sadness for someone else's horrible fate."

"Yes, Pansy, I am rather noble if you think about it, I'm not the type to want it to die painfully or something, I just want justice done for me. But you should know, Pans, before you go to sleep, that revenge isn't as sweet as I thought before." He said, seeing Pansy Parkinson yawn in front of him.

"Good night, Drake, see you tomorrow."

And at last, the long-awaited Hypogriff's trial came. He still remembered the Mudblood's words and it pained his heart, because she would never see his compassionate, gentle and kind side, and that he too, didn't really want to kill the Hypogriff. But he did that, only to keep up appearances, and because he never was so humiliated in his life, by another non-human creature, that he had to do it, his honour as a Malfoy and a Pure-Blood was at stake. He was present at the trial and testified apparently heartlessly against the innocent Buckbeak. He saw the creature shed a lone tear, and his heart was broken for it, but he never showed it on his face. "_I'd rather her to think I am a cold-hearted Pure-blood, than to risk my life, my Mother's and hers, by showing my real emotions in public_." But the good thing was, that the Hypogriff's execution, would take place after Christmas, and it was decided it's executioner will be Macnair, a good friend of his Father's and a Death-Eater.

And sometime after the Christmas holidays, he noticed Granger, no the Mudblood, was quite moody about something. "_What's gotten over her_? " And then he knew what when he overheard Weasley's private conversation with Potter, it was because Saint Potter got a Firebolt, from an unknown stranger, and she had it confiscated by Mcgonagall, making the Golden Duo mad at her. And so that was why during the Christmas vacations, the Golden Trio wasn't on speaking terms.

"_That's my Mudblood_._ At least, she's done something right for me : she taught Potter a lesson. I'll make it up to her by shrinking her teeth magically for her one day, as my thanks for her._" He said to himself. Then as Potter used his Firebolt in the next Quidditch matche against his House, he surmised Mcgonagall gave it back to him, and the Golden Trio, he noted, spoke to each other again.

But as he was still too young to know what were the differences between hate, love, or infatuation or even obsession, so he couldn't pinpoint his own feelings for her. _"Am I truly in love with her? Or is it just a moment's obsession_?" And so that was why he sometimes found himself thinking this about her, after the 3 Gryffindors made up with each other : "_If she weren't a Muggle-born, I'd be free to love her as I want. But that's never going to be possible. She is fatally a Muggle-born and I a Pure-Blood, that could never be between us. Muggle-born? I called her a Muggle-born again, and not a Mudblood. I must be careful to never call her that in public because then, Father would know_."

And for a good while, he had these thoughts in his immature boyish mind, but it was a now serious matter, it was Buckbeak the Hypogriff's execution by Macnair, and he was there to watch it, seemingly loving it, but in some part of his heart, he didn't really want to see the half-bird, half-horse die. "_It's now too late to save it, the Mudblood and her friends couldn't save him after all, because they didn't have enough evidence during the trial and so I won._" He thought it would be glorious to win for once against them, but it wasn't. It was painful for him to watch through it too, although his face was expressionless and emotionless. The Mudblood, he saw, was crying in the Weasel's robes, which angered him more. He thought he was angry, but in fact, he was just jealous of Weasley's physical closeness to her. But his young mind wasn't mature enough to know how to analyze the myriad of emotions coursing through him and he used Occlumency to shut them off in a corner of his heart.

After it's execution, he was particularly happy. He felt avenged, and although he said to Pansy revenge wasn't as good as he thought, it was still nice to be fully avenged. And the incriminating of an innocent didn't weigh too much on his mind, as he truly thought Buckbeak ought to die because it injured him and he was humiliated in front of the whole class because of it, plus he couldn't play Quidditch, for quite some time. It was with these thoughts, that he and his friends decided to go down to Hagrid's and to see how the giant was doing. As he got to Hagrid's hut, the Golden Trio was already there, consoling him, the best they could.

"Look at him, so fucking pathetic, crying over a creature's death! Buckbeak was only a Hypogriff, and one who injured my arm, and made me not able to play Quidditch for about 2 months." He said, with as much spite as he could.

"Malfoy, what are you doing there, just to gloat over the incident?" The Mudblood asked him, flaring and seeing red.

"I was just coming to see how Hagrid was doing, none of your business, _Mudblood_." He wasn't expecting it, though she punched him right on his right cheek and took out her wand. But he, rather than cursing her, used a charm to shrink her teeth a bit to fit her mouth, as special thanks to her for having Potter's Firebolt taken away, which made Gryffindor lose several matches, and which was the real reason why the Weasel and Scarehead weren't talking to her during the Winter holidays; he found out about it after going in Potter's mind.

"Don't, Mione, he's not worth it."

"50 points from Slytherin for provoking a student, and detention tonight, Mr. Malfoy." Hagrid said.

"_And that's the thanks I get for helping the Mudblood_."

After he got punched in the face by his secret crush, he touched his cheeks quite often to feel her hand on it. "_Why am I doing this_?_ I should hate her for it_." But he didn't know he was in love with her, so he couldn't explain why he was acting this way to himself. And as he spied and followed the Golden Trio around whenever he could and in his free time, when it wasn't spent on beating the Muggle-born girl in every test, as he promised his Father he would, or he wouldn't come back home. One lucky night, he followed Potter to Hagrid's and discovered the giant had smuggled in several rare and illegal dragons in his hut as his pets. He vowed he would get him fired because of this. Yet, the fates seemed to play with him again, as the proof he gathered about it was promptly destroyed by the Golden Trio and Hagrid was talked into selling the Dragons to someone else, before he could get the Care of Magical creatures teacher fired for that. Last year, he couldn't get the giant fired for opening the Chamber of Secrets, this year, he couldn't get him sacked for illegal having Dragons as pets. And to top it all, he lost his House-elf Dobby to Potter. And although he swore to get Dobby back, he knew once a House-Elf got freed, there was no way he could get it back, so that angered him even more. And he took every chance he got to laugh at the Golden Trio to lighten up his mood, making the Mudblood hate him even more. And he mentally slapped himself every time she was angry or hurt because of him.

And then he got suspicious about Potter, Weasley and Granger's actions and such, he tried to uncover what the Golden Trio were doing, but to no avail. At the end of the year, he vaguely got the impression that Sirius Black was still on the loose, and he was positive the 3 Gryffindors had something to do with his escape from imprisonment, though he couldn't figure out what precisely. And he didn't know Dumbledore got them 3 a time-turner, to save both Buckbeak the Hypogriff and Sirius Black, the presumed murderer. "Why in Merlin would they help a convicted murderer and a Death-Eater?" However, he didn't and couldn't know the man was innocent of his crimes and was Potter's Godfather and it was he, who gave Potter the Firebolt as a Christmas present. And he never knew how Potter and Weasley rarely got detentions for being out at night in school this year, but he meant to find out and to get back at them for Dobby and other things they've done to him. "And where did Potter get a black dog?" In his spying on them and following them around, he learnt the Mudblood bought Crookshanks from a pet shop, and Scabbers was the Weasleys' family rat, but how Potter got his pet dog was another mystery to him.

By May, a month before school finished, Lupin's case was solved for him, his being a werewolf was exposed, as he transformed into a big werewolf under the Whomping Willow and several students saw him. And so he had to resign as a teacher. "_It's like I got my birthday present earlier_._ He never should have been a teacher in the first place, since he was a danger to everyone in school, including my dearest Mudblood._" Then he later knew it was because Uncle Severus stopped making the Wolfsbane potion for him, and he did that to avenge himself, because he was enemies with him in his youth, and on top of that, he was fed up with Lupin's ungrateful attitude towards him the whole year.

Please read and review, thanks! And tell me on what I should work on and improve on, thank you, politely and respectfully, thank you.


	4. 4th Year

The whole Summer following his 3rd year, he was thinking about these mysteries surrounding the Golden Trio, but especially Potter. "_How did he get the dog? Was it a gift from someone else? or Dumbledore? And why would he need one anyway_?" Since Draco never had a pet, he himself only owned an owl at home, to send letters for him and everything, so he couldn't really understand the need for somebody to have one and he couldn't know it was Sirius Black, an unregistered Animagus and Potter's Godfather, in a dog's form. If he knew that, he could have easily gotten Potter tried and put in Azkaban for it.

As he was putting his childhood behind, he had much to think about this Summer, almost no time to play, not only about Potter's new pet, but also about his own path and his complicated feelings for a certain Muggle-born in school. In his mind, he let himself call her that, but in front of his parents, he always called her "Mudblood". He still thought Pure-Bloods were superior, but that particular Muggle-born, Hermione Granger, surpassed him in everything : moral standards, intelligence and grace. She acted like a real noble Gryffindor lady. "_If only she weren't a Muggle-born… the possibilities would have been endless between us. But I mustn't think about what could never be, that will only make me go crazy." _

He had now a fortnight before going back to school. One week-end's evening, his Mother called him downstairs for a very important talk concerning his future and something else when his Father was out meeting some clients.

"Yes Mother, what did you want with me?"

"Come and have some pumpkin juice with me, Draco. I'm here to tell you we'll be going to the Quidditch World Cup this Summer. Now, I want you to behave there, don't be an embarrassment to the whole family."

"Yes Mother. You're starting to sound more and more like Father, what happened to you since last year? Last year, because Father said he'd disown me, you told him you'd divorce him."

"That was to see how he'd react. And he sure reacted as I imagined he would. So with that said, I want you to think about your future. There's just one year before you decide if you want to be a Death-Eater or not. I know Lucius won't give you a choice about it, but I as your Mother, want to give you the freedom to choose. I'll always support you no matter what you decide to do, son, I want you to know this. I don't want you to be your Father."

"Thank you Mother. But I haven't thought about it, just yet. And it'll be fun at the Quidditch World Cup."

"I guess it will be, yes, only behave, please. Don't cause any trouble or your Father will beat me up for it, understand?"

"Yes of course, I understand, love you too Mother."

He was abashed his Mother would be so open about his not wanting to be a Death-Eater, but he knew he didn't have a choice, as a Malfoy and a Pure-blood. Thinking about this made him moody, and so he thought more about the upcoming Quidditch World Cup, just in a few days. He was so excited that every night before the event, he was sleeping so lightly that a slight noise could wake him up. "_I mustn't show it on my face, or else Father would punish me for it_."

And then before he knew it, it was the day for the Quidditch World Cup, he was going to see the world famous teams play against each other. "_Who wouldn't be excited about it_?" As he was readying himself that morning, his Father called him down to breakfast.

"Got everything, Draco?"

"Yes, Father."

"Let's use the Portkey."

"Why the Portkey, why can't we just Apparate or something like that?"

"Ministry's orders, son. We mustn't let the Muggles see us. So, we're going to use the Portkey."

"Oh, all right, then, the Portkey it is."

"1,2,3!" And then they were, on the Quidditch World Cup's grounds. To be very honest, Draco didn't expect to see the Golden Trio to be there, and especially not the half-wit Weasel and his family, since they were so poor. _"How in Merlin did they get their tickets at the top?_"

"Well, Weasley, it must have cost you your entire family fortune to buy those top seats."

"Malfoy, what are you doing there?"

"Enjoying the World Cup, just like you."

"Well, sod off, Malfoy. Leave us alone for once. I'm not in the mood to fight with you."

"That's no way to greet your fellow schoolmate, Weasley." said his Mother.

"Mrs. Malfoy, your son started it first." Harry chimed in Ron's defence.

"Well, Potter, isn't it the famous Harry Potter? Should I bow down to you or what?" His Mother said in mockery.

"Draco, Narcissa, let's go to our seats." Lucius said, not wanting his wife and son to put his public image into jeopardy.

"But Father, he was ridiculing Mother, you could have done something about them—" Draco whined as a spoilt brat would.

"No, son, it's better to not do anything in public, to ruin our public image, no matter how humiliated you feel, don't let your enemies see it and learn how to be resilient, how to wait for your chance."

That was one of those rare life-lessons he learnt from his Father. And with what his Father said in mind, he found he had a great time at the World Cup and didn't think about these 3 goons at anymore all, who initially ruined his mood for the day. But before the World Cup could finish, Draco and his family saw the Dark Mark in the sky. Wizards and Witches were fleeing the stadium, but not his Father, he was openly going towards it. "_Has he gone mad? Does he want to get in Azkaban?_" Draco was thinking. But the panic in the crowd saved his Father, as no one else saw him running towards the Dark Mark, and so he wasn't incriminated for this and neither for the torture and humiliation of the Muggle organizers for the World Cup.

After the disastrous World Cup, it was going back to Hogwarts time for him. He thought this was going to be a regular normal year, but he didn't know he'd have abundance of chances to avenge himself against these 3, namely when his Father told him about Hogwarts hosting the Triwizard Tournament. And he was much disappointed when he learnt that the Quidditch Inter-House Championship was to be cancelled due to it when Dumbledore announced it in his welcome speech at the beginning of the year.

But his Father didn't know about one crucial thing : the Dark Lord had Barty Crouch drink the Polyjuice Potion to disguise himself as Alastor Moody, the DADA teacher this year. And so he wrongly deducted Alastor Moody was on the Golden Trio's side, since he was hostile towards him in class and even gave him detentions whenever possible, and knocked points off from Slytherin whenever a Slytherin student misbehaved or disrespected any other students. And in one of his DADA classes outside, when he was trying to stealthily attack Potter from behind, Professor Alastor Moody saw him with his moving eye and Transfigured him into a white ferret, Bounced him up and down, making him the class's clown. "_Moody will pay for it_." Everyone in class, he saw, except for his fellow Slytherins and Hermione Granger, laughed their heads off at him and the Weasel gave him the nickname of "The amazing bouncing Ferret" It was Prof. Mcgonagall who ended his nightmare.

"Moody, we never use Transfiguration on a student as a punishment, no matter what he or she has done."

"But Malfoy was trying to attack Potter from behind, Potter didn't see it, I did, so I—"

"Transfigured him into a white ferret? There are many other and better ways to discipline students, Professor Moody, like for example, give them detentions, take off Housepoints from their Houses, and etc."

"All right, I'm sorry, Minerva, Malfoy. I promise never to do that again." His DADA Professor said a bit sheepishly.

"And you're to come with me and to explain yourself to the Headmaster, Moody." Moody, to his satisfaction, couldn't do anything else but to follow her to back the Castle.

"Ron, are you in a daze or what?" He heard Granger ask the Weasel, who was noble enough to not publicly laugh at him, which made him _like_ her even more for her internal qualities. He didn't know she had that many and was this kind-hearted. And it comforted him to see she wasn't laughing at his humiliation. "_I underestimated her. I thought she'd hate me enough to want to avenge herself against me, but she's above that. She's definitely a Gryffindor._"

"No, but I want to picture the amazing bouncing Ferret's image in my mind forever."

"Ron, you're so immature." said his secret love, disgusted by her best friend. "_It's like her defending me against one of her best friends_." He said to himself after they were gone.

After he was nicknamed "The amazing bouncing Ferret", by Ronald Weasley, it was a surprise for him too, just like everybody else, when Potter's name was out of the Goblet of Fire, since he didn't know it was Barty Crouch, disguised as Professor Alastor Moody, who put the Golden boy's name in the Goblet of Fire. After the Triwizard Tournament's opening ceremony, he made "_S__upport Cedric Diggory, the real Champion_" badges to aggravate Potter and the Golden Trio even more. Potter on the surface, didn't seem annoyed by it in the slightest.

"He has grown, my immature tactics won't work on him and the rest of them anymore, and if want the Mudblood to react as much as possible, I'd have to come up with something new. "

Although he was teen, he was still a boy, he didn't linger too much on his feelings for her. All he knew was that he didn't want to see her dead, like he did for 2 years. In his 3rd year, he realized he confused his secret feelings for her as hate, but was baffled as to if it were a crush, an obsession or was he really in love with her? But since he thought love was the most foolish thing ever on this planet, as taught by his Father, thus he dismissed those feelings. And now he didn't know how to take the butterflies in his stomach or whenever he saw her face going red. "_Ever since I shrank her teeth, she has become more beautiful than ever, with her bushy brown curls_." Though he admitted he was physically attracted to her, but he didn't know he was head over heels in love with her. "_But she's just a Mudblood, that's never going to be possible for us, maybe in another lifetime._" Filled with the idea that Pure-bloods were superior and better than Muggle-borns, ever since the cradle, and with his Fathers' upbringing and teaching, he couldn't think of her as anything else than a low-class, dirty Mudblood. He even thought her blood was as dirty as mud, and not as red as his, and that was where the insult came from : mud and blood.

"_Funny, I find her physically very pretty and very intelligent, yet I can't get pass the fact that she's a Mudblood._" Of course, since he was indoctrinated by these thoughts ever since he was baby, he couldn't possibly get out of it all by himself, hence why he needed external help. "_But who's_? _Oh I know, Uncle Sev will help me, he said he won't judge me on that, time to go and see if that's true. But after Potter's first task._" And ever since the Champions' names were announced, he found out something else about her : she was starting a campaign to free the House-Elves. "_Such a smart girl like her should know no respectable Witches or Wizards will want to free their House-Elves, and much less participate in her silly campaign. But this is none of my business, it's hers and only hers._"

Potter, these days in class, he observed, was overly nervous, since he had the burden to be a Champion as well. "_Saint Potter, always in the spotlight_." If he knew The-boy-who-lived well, however, he would have known the raven-haired boy didn't like being in the spotlight in the least bit. And the Mudblood was of course, encouraging him whenever she could, and helping him with the first task. But he didn't know it was the false Professor Alastor Moody who gave his arch-nemesis extra lessons on the Summoning Charm and told him to play with his strengths. So at the beginning of his first task, he was taunting his school nemesis, as usual :

"You know what, Potter, Father and I made a bet; I said you'd last 10 minutes, and he said you wouldn't last 5."

"Malfoy, we could care less about what you think of him. Now if you don't have anything better to do, then please get to your seat, and let us enjoy the first task."

"_Mudblood_, don't you dare speak to me this way."

"Don't I _dare_? Oh, you don't scare me anymore Malfoy with your threats. And I don't care about it if you call me a Mudblood or what, so call me that as much as you want." said Granger the Mudblood, in his face. "_Damn, she has matured too, and I must grow up quickly or I'll be humiliated by those 3. Though that makes her even more attractive." _He shut the voice off in a corner of his mind though.

"Well whatever, you two _enjoy_ the show." If he was unsatisfied she didn't take his bait, to make up for it, most of the school wore his "_Support Cedric Diggory, the School's real Champion_" badges proudly on their chests. But after the first task, he wasn't gloating so much anymore, Potter and Krum got tied, both first place, Cedric Diggory second, and Fleur from Beaubaxtons 3rd. He wanted Potter to be the last one, so he could taunt him about it, and maybe make Hermione Granger go red in her face again, but alas, he couldn't have everything he wanted in this world.

Because the first task went so extremely well for Potter, he wasn't quite in the mood for studying, wanting to humiliate him some more. He just couldn't stand it, when he was seeing Saint Potter's face light up with a smile. And Hermione Granger was there for him, cheering and rooting for him, making him even more furious. And that was why he wasn't paying too much attention in class either, when the teachers announced the Yule ball. After class though, he heard the Slytherin girls talk about something in the Slytherin Common room.

"Hey Pans, what's all the commotion about?"

"Didn't you hear about it in class, Drakie-Poo, we're going to have a Yule Ball. And you must have a date! Please take me, pretty please with a cherry on top, Drakie-Poo?" Pansy Parkinson was pleading with him in her girly and screeching high voice.

"No me, me, ME!" protested Daphne Greengrass, who also wanted him with a passion and unknown to him, competed against Pansy for his heart.

"Girls, girls, I haven't thought about who I'll take to the Ball just yet, please calm down and let me decide on my own."

"But you must have a date to the Ball, Drakie-Poo!"

"Yes, Pans, I know, but let me think about it." He found Pansy to be goddamned infuriating, sometimes, even more than the Golden Trio. But to add further to his frustrations, a few days later, his Father sent him an owl ordering him to take Pansy to the Ball. "_She must have written to Father about it_." He thought. "_Fine, I will, just for Father's sake_. _And I know I don't want her that way, I want to ask Hermione Granger out to the Ball, but she'll think it's a joke if I did that._" He thought sadly about it.

And before long, for Draco, it was the Yule Ball's night, also Christmas Eve. Girls were in colourful dresses of red, blue, pink and other colours, instead of their usual colours. Their hairs were done fashionably as well. At the Ball, he noticed the Weasel was sulking, not even looking at his date, Padma Patil. "_Why_?" And at the Ball's opening, he saw Hermione Granger dancing with Vicktor Krum, the Champion from Durmstrang, Fleur was with Roger Davis, the Ravenclaws' Quidditch captain, Cedric Diggory with Cho Chang, the Ravenclaw's seeker in his 2nd year, and finally, Harry Potter with Pavarti Patil. Potter was a dunce at dancing, and embarrassed his date and he was secretly laughing at him for stepping on his date's feet many times, irritating Pavarti Patil. But Hermione he saw, was so gorgeous that his mouth was agape as she descended the stairs to the ballroom's floor, looking radiant on her face. It was then, he knew he was truly in love with her since he wanted to go and snatch her away from Krum, jealousy boiling in him, but he forced him to restrain himself : "_Don't go, you'll just make a fool out of yourself if you did that_. _And think about what Father would do about that._"

"Drakie-Poo, what are you looking at?"

"Just the Mudblood, I thought Durmstrang Institute's people didn't take Muggle-filths to Balls. Dance with me, Pansy?" This seemed to satisfy his Pure-Blood date.

"Yes, sure, with pleasure, Drake." She said, completely oblivious to the fact that her date was falling for Hermione Granger, the Mudblood.

"_There's no denying it now_ _I am in love with her_, _otherwise I wouldn't have pined after her so much, while she was with Viktor Krum. And I am going to protect her in the shadows, doing the best I could for her to live through the inevitable war." _Even though he admitted to himself now that he was really in love with her, and that he didn't hate her, he still didn't know just how precious she was to him. Whereas, in his previous year, he was thoroughly baffled about his feelings for her. "_I am going to help her side, as a double agent because I love her_. _I know it now, __after seeing her with that Victor Krum._" He decided the night after he saw her at the Yule Ball with another than him, so stunningly beautiful and so far out of his reach.

"_About 2 months still before the 2nd task. I have enough time to go see Uncle Severus." _And so he went to his Godfather's private study, to ask him advice about his feelings for Hermione Granger, the Muggle-born girl.

"What brings you here, Draco?" asked his Uncle Sev.

"Why, can't I visit my favourite Godfather?"

"Your only Godfather and don't you play innocent with me, Draco. Sit down, I know what you've come about. Hermione Granger, isn't it?"

"How did you know?"

"I am not as blind as you, Draco, you don't even know you've fallen for her and hard. Don't think I don't know how you looked at her at the Yule Ball, while you were dancing absent-mindedly with Miss Parkinson."

"I know it now, Severus, I was being stupid the last 3 years, and because I was only a boy, I first thought I hated her, and then I got confused about my love feelings for her, but as she went with Victor Krum and I with Pansy Parkinson at the Yule Ball, my love for her was clear for me. And I've decided to stop fighting for it. I've fought against my feelings for her uselessly for 3 years, and even successfully made her hate me, but you know, it was all for her and her friends' sake."

"Yes I know, Draco. You know loving someone on the opposite side of a war, isn't easy. I too, loved someone who was Muggle-born."

"You too, who was it, Uncle Sev? And how did you deal with it?"

"I can't tell you, because then your Father would know and it'll put me in potential danger. I know your Aunt Bellatrix Lestrange has trained you in Legilimency/Occlumency, but I don't think you're ready for him, as he has learnt a few tricks from his real Master."

"Yes Severus. And I do plan to help the Light Side, should I tell Dumbledore about it?"

"No, the less people knowing about it, the less people will be in danger, Godson. Now go, and never let your Father know about your true feelings for her. Understand? Make her hate you for her life, and protect her in the shadows sneakily like a true Slytherin."

"That's all I can do for now?"

"Yes, for your life and hers and your Mother's, do you want her to die for it too?"

"No, but my Mother said she'd support me no matter what I do."

"Good, but still do nothing about it, and help the Light Side whenever you can, secretly, report to me, and I'll report everything you know to Dumbledore, saying it was I who discovered all these things while spying for them."

"Thank you, I just hope my love would live. I don't care about myself."

"I promise you with my life she will, Draco."

He was more at peace now, during these 2 months before the Champions' second task, after he talked to his Uncle Sev. He never thought his Uncle Severus understood and knew about his feelings for her. And he was often wondering in his 14 year-old's mind : "_Who could Uncle Severus's secret love be?" _All the while, he was trying to know what the 2nd task would be, but the teachers wouldn't let any student know, it was the staff's secret.

"It is now time for all Champions to complete their 2nd task and the 2nd task will be that each and every one of them will have to rescue something very dear to them." Dumbledore was saying, but he was only half-listening to the old Headmaster. However, he watched the 2nd task with interest, and was predicting with his Slytherin friends about who'd be the first to rescue the hostages. He as the rest of the crowd, didn't know why Harry Potter was last this time, and what took him so long. Hermione Granger, he saw, was also frowning for him. "_Normal, it's her best friend. I'm not jealous, nope."_ But he couldn't deny he was jealous of anyone who got his secret crush's affections, and Potter wasn't an exception. He was perhaps more jealous of Ronald Weasley, who sometimes got too close to her physically to his taste, but he never thought he'd stoop so low as to be jealous of Harry Goddam Potter. "_Calm down, it's only her friend she's worried about. If I were her one of best friends, she'd be that worried about me too._" And then, everybody knew why Harry Potter was last in the 2nd task, it was because he took extra time to rescue all the hostages, not only his own. This he saw, made Fleur Delacour admire him, because he rescued her little sister, Gabrielle Delacour. And because Potter did that to save all the hostages, so he got the second place, instead of the 3rd one, like he was supposed to. And that made Potter tie with Cedric Diggory, who got the first place in the 2nd task, and Krum was second and Fleur was last, again.

"Hey, that's favouritism to Potter!"

"No Malfoy, because he showed moral fibre!" Weasley leapt to his best friend's defence.

"And besides, you're not the one deciding, it's the judges' job." Granger, defending Harry as well.

"Well, if my father were one, he'd put Potter in the last place for sure."

"Yeah yeah, whatever, Malfoy. But your Father ain't one, so you can't do much about it. What are you going to do, sulk about it?"

"Of course not. See you in class, Weasel." Ouf of all 3 of them, Ronald Weasley was the most reckless and unintelligent one, so that was why he always fell for his tricks, no matter how many times he used the same ones, over and over again on him, they still worked like a charm on the Weasel.

"Well, well, even my Mudblood insult doesn't seem to affect Granger anymore, but that half-wit Weasley is still like an immature child, always taking my bait. I just hope someday she'll leap to his defence, and I'll be able to see her angered face again, I just love it, when her face is red with fury." He was commenting to himself, alone in the Slytherin boy's dormitory, some nights after the 2nd task. She was now Granger to him, when he was talking to himself and thinking to himself. And of course, he was careful to not let this slip, because his "friends" would report to his Father and he'd get disowned maybe for it. "_Why is my life so difficult_?"

All this time, before the 3rd task came along, he was trying to investigate about Potter's black dog along with his lessons and beating his crush in every test, yet he had no success with finding more about it. _"Why am I so obsessed with Potter's black dog? Logically, maybe someone gave it to him or maybe he bought it, just like Granger did with Crookshanks last year_?"

And then, as usual, it was Dumbledore who announced what the task would be. Draco wasn't really paying attention to his speech, in fact, he was almost dozing off, and so he didn't know what the final task would be. All he's heard was the Champions will have to go through some kind of maze, and the first one to come out of it, will be the whole Tournament's Champion. As he watched in the stadium, he wondered what in Merlin's name was happening. He didn't know it was the Dark Lord's plans all along to kidnap Potter during the last task when he was the least protected and to have his Death-Eaters resurrect him and that the Cup was the Resurrection Stone, one of the Deathly Hallows, and Cedric Diggory was murdered during the 3rd task by Wormtail, Lord Voldemort's servant. And Barty Crouch, still as Alastor Moody, abducted Potter in his office while he was carrying Diggory's body back to Hogwarts, but for a short while only, because he got rescued by Professors Dumbledore, Mcgonagall and his very own Godfather, but he couldn't know that as a spectator, and he couldn't know how Potter got out of the maze first and because he got out of the maze first, he got crowned the Tournament's youngest Champion, and got several thousand Galleons for it. And then it became known to everyone, that Cedric Diggory had died, but his death's real reasons were not divulged, as the Ministry absolutely refused to acknowledge that Lord Voldemort has returned, despite the Headmaster's insistence.


	5. 5th Year

It was a very busy Summer at the Manor after Lord Voldemort had returned. He used his house as the Death-Eaters' headquarters and Draco didn't like that one bit, but what could he say in front of the Dark Lord? His Father, a proud Death-Eater, often had conferences and meetings with them and the Dark Lord, ever since his returning to power, but even he was sometimes shaken by the Dark Lord's commandeering presence in the house and by his playing with his pet snake, Nagini. And because Draco himself hated it so much, so this motivated him to help the Light side even more, since he wanted this unwelcome guest out of his home as soon as possible.

"So tell me, how come Draco, your son, has not joined me just yet?" Lord Voldemort was asking his Father.

"_Who does he think he is, he thinks he can decide everything for me? Why do I have to be a Death-Eater? I don't want to!" _The teenage Draco in him was rebelling against his already paved path and dark fate.

"My Lord, he is still young, and besides, Draco can't do anything worthwhile for you yet." Narcissa intervened, with nervousness. His Mother usually never showed any emotions on her face, but she couldn't help it because it was the Dark Lord. Draco knew his mother never really saw him as her Master, unlike his father. So she was bold enough to sometimes speak against him.

"Narcissa, my dear, this is where you are wrong. Why, Draco could do tons of things for me at Hogwarts, he could for example, assist Dolores Umbridge, the new Defence against the Dark Arts teacher and he could also lure Potter in the Department of Mysteries for me, to get me the prophecy."

"How could I assist her, my Lord and what prophecy? I am willing to do everything in my power to help you." Draco said as composed as he could in front of his Father's Master.

"For example, you could help her watch the students at Hogwarts who believe I've returned and punish them for saying it out loud. As for the prophecy, it's something I want, no need, but I can't tell you how crucial it is for me to have it. If I had it, I could know why the Potter boy lived after I've used the Killing Curse on him. And if you get it for me, Draco, you'll be rewarded beyond anyone else."

"My Lord, so you've set up this Professor Umbridge, seemingly from the Ministry to help you cover up your full returning, may I ask why are you trying to hide it?"

"Because if the people don't believe it, then they're going to let their guard down, and I'm going to win more easily, Draco. Now I trust you'll do everything you can for me. I won't be giving you the Dark Mark just yet, you have to prove your loyalty to me first and you have one year to earn it."

"Yes, my Lord, I will do everything I can for you, my only wish in my life is to serve you." Draco answered without hesitation.

It was Draco's first time speaking to the Dark Lord himself, however rather than feeling pride, he was thoroughly disgusted by it. But since he decided last year to be a double agent for the Light, he could be more useful for them being a Death-Eater too. "_I mustn't let him know I'm playing him, or else my whole family would be dead because of my love for her_. _Why are the fates so cruel to me? I am doing everything I can for her, yet I'm not getting anything from it. I don't even get to be a hero, like Saint Potter and his Weasel._" Whenever the Dark Lord was in his home, though, he felt chills up his spine and was uneasy, although he remained as composed as he could. It was this way the whole Summer for Draco Malfoy.

One lucky evening he learnt something new, having been invited by Lord Voldemort himself to the Death-Eaters' meeting : on his personal orders, Dolores Umbridge was going to send Dementors in Potter's Muggle neighbourhood, to have him expelled from Hogwarts for doing underage magic. Although he was immensely happy that Potter was going to be expelled, but, secretly, he was afraid for the Muggles living in the area. "_Since when did I care about Muggles? Oh yeah, last year, since I realized I had feelings for Hermione Jean Granger, the bane of my existence._"

"Good plan, my Lord. Saint Potter is surely going to try and save his Muggle relatives, and by doing that, he will certainly get expelled from Hogwarts for doing underage magic."

"Yes exactly, Draco, that's precisely my plans. Your son is very intelligent, Narcissa, Lucius. I'm certain he will accomplish great things."

"Thank you for esteeming him so much, my Lord. I'm sure my son is honoured to serve you."

"Yes, my Lord."

The whole Summer it was hell for him, having to pretend he liked the supreme Dark Lord in his house and felt honoured to serve him while it was the total opposite for him. And he silently hoped to himself he could go back to Hogwarts sooner. If the Golden Trio knew this, they would be indeed amazed. Then finally, after a long and chilly Summer, in the Manor, he was packing his trunk and he caged his pet owl, ready for school. "This is going to be one hell of a year, and I don't know how I can help Professor Dolores Umbridge, but I'll do my best to not arouse his suspicions on me, and that way I might be able to get some valuable information for the Light side too."

At King's Cross, he and his Father spotted Harry's black dog again. "Father, how did Potter get the black dog?"

"That is no ordinary black dog, this is Sirius Black, in his unregistered Animagus form. As for how do I know this, well let's just say I've been to school with him, and I know more about him than he knows about me."

"The Mudblood seems to know we're talking about Sirius black, can't you prove it's him and get him in Azkaban for being an unregistered Animagus, Father and why is he with Potter?"

"No, I can't do anything about it, because there's nothing that can make someone turn from his Animagus form to his human self. As for your other question, he is with them, because he is Potter's Godfather, that much I know from my Master."

"Such a pity."

"Yes, but you'll have many occasions to avenge yourself at school, Draco, learn to be patient, my son."

After some time at school, Severus Snape, his Godfather, called him to his dungeons to discuss with him about what happened in his Summer.

"So Draco, I still remember you not wanting to be a Death-Eater, how do you plan on refusing the Dark Lord?" His Godfather was blunt with him

"Uncle Sev, I'm not going to refuse being in his service. I'm going to serve him as a Death-Eater, that way I can help the Light Side more than if I didn't serve him."

"That's brilliant, Godson, however, what about your feelings for Granger? You do know this is going to make her hate you more, yes? And it's going to be impossible for you to be with her."

"I don't plan on being with her, Uncle Sev. If she really hated me this much already, she won't believe me even if I told her I liked her. She'd think I'm plotting against them anyway, so I'll just help them whenever I can by digging up information for them."

"Yes, so that's that."

"But, where were you all this Summer, Uncle Sev?"

"Can't tell you exactly where, but I've been 'spying' on the Light Side on his orders. He ordered me to act like a member of the Order of the Phoenix."

"And what's that, Uncle Sev?"

"It's organized by Dumbledore specifically against the Dark Lord, they've been rescuing Potter from the Dursleys, his Muggle relatives. I'm there to seemingly 'spy' for him."

"Ah I understand, Uncle Sev and about Potter's hearing, did you know it was all set-up by the Dark Lord and the Dementors were sent by one of his servants too?"

"Yes. I was filled in by other Death-Eaters, while I was absent doing my duties in the Order and Potter as I guessed, didn't get expelled from Hogwarts, because Dumbledore's helped him."

"Yes, I've seen him in the Prophet's newest article about Potter. And I've been reading some articles that are favourable to Potter's story, why is that? I thought Father paid Rita Skeeter enough for her to write slanderous lies about him? Why has she been writing positive things about him?"

"Yes, this puzzles me as well, Draco, good night, see you in advanced Potions." But he couldn't know his girl Hermione Granger blackmailed Rita Skeeter to write that article. If he knew, he'd think the girl had some Slytherin in her and he'd have been ever so proud of her.

In class Draco was bored out of his mind and especially in the DADA one, taught by Dolores Umbridge, because she only taught what he already knew and only the theories, nothing practical. But after one dull DADA class, she proceeded to interrogate all the Hogwarts teachers and was in each and every one of his classes, eyeing the teacher from her chair. And she was interrogating his Godfather now, after having first sacked Trelawney, the Divination teacher for incompetency, but couldn't fire Hagrid, due to the Headmaster's timely intervention. "_It's great I didn't take that useless class, I can't believe Granger did in her 3rd year, what was she thinking when she took Divination_? _Granger? I mustn't let her name cross my lips, for her safety and mine._" Draco constantly reminded himself now after noticing he called her by her last name in his thoughts.

"So you have applied for my position quite often in the past, but have never been sucessful, Professor Snape, is that it?"

"Yes obviously, since I'm not the course's teacher, but the potions' Master at school. You wish to know something else, Professor Umbridge? Go right ahead and ask me."

"That's going to be all, _Professor_ Snape. You are dismissed. Next!"

And she did that for a whole day and Draco observed her for a little while. "_What a determined Ministry's dog. But she's also here on the Lord's commands. She must be so proud of herself_. _However_, _she didn't dare sack my Godfather, though, probably the Lord told her not to._"

He was now excited for Quidditch, as the season started again, shortly after her interrogating and sacking the teachers.

"Well, Gryffindor's bound to lose for the next matches, for sure."

"Why, Drakie-poo?" asked Pansy as she said her nickname for him so adoringly. "_Idiot girl can't see I don't even like her. The only one I want is Hermione bloody Granger. But I'm sure Father's going to force me to marry her, because she's a Pure-Blood and her family's just as rich as mine. Oh Salazar! Why can't I be with the one I want to be with? Why do I have to be a Pure-Blood?_"

"Because Weasley's the team's keeper. He hasn't got the skills for it, though, the dumb Weasel. I'm surprised their Captain chose him for the keeper's position."

"Do you want to know why Potter missed the try outs for the Keeper's position?" asked Nott.

"Yeah, why, I'm interested in knowing?"

"Because he told the whole school about the Dark Lord's return, and had been yelling about it since school started, so Umbridge gave him detentions for a week and made him write these lines on the blackboard : I must not tell lies."

"How did you hear about it?"

"Well, Potter boy himself was talking it out loud with the Weasel and the Mudblood at lunch, so I've heard about it by accident."

And then there was some silence between him and the other Slytherins. After a long while, finally he spoke up.

"Hey, I've got an idea, why don't we compose a song, only for the Weasel?" Draco suggested to his friends.

"Sure, great, what should the first lines be?"

"Firstly, the song should be called 'Weasley is our King and then, the first lines are : Weasley is our King, he can't save thing…"

"Good start, Draco, with this, Gryffindor's sure to lose."

After he was done composing the song, it was the first matches against Gryffindor, and sure enough, in the school stadium, the whole Slytherin House sang "Weasley is our King" to destabilize Ronald Weasley as Gryffindor's keeper even more. But even as they sang it, Gryffindors recomposed the song to encourage him to do better, so Gryffindor still won against Slytherin for several matches, despite their best efforts to demoralize them. However, there was another reason why he insulted Potter's late mother or even the Weasley children's parents : because Hermione had cheered and rooted for his worst enemies during these matches and he had enough of it.

"So Potter, how do you feel, having a dead Mudblood mother? And I still don't know how James Potter, your Father fell in love with such a Muggle-filth. And dear Merlin, Weasel, although you didn't let the Quaffle in for these games, I can see it wasn't an inborn gift, since your parents, I've heard from Father, were never on the Quidditch team in their school years." He said with as much haughtiness as possible, hoping Hermione would come to their defence, and then he would get her attention. All these years before, he thought he taunted her friends and her because he truly hated them, but now as he was provoking them, he knew it wasn't because of that, but because he was truly jealous of Potter and Weasley, her two best friends. Everytime he insulted them now, he hoped to get a rise out of her, but she remained as level-headed as she possibly could in this situation.

"Malfoy, don't you_ dare_ talk about my parents this way."

"What would do to me if I continued though? Tell me _please_. You wouldn't want to start anything with me, right? When you know what I can do to you."

"Stop it, you all know the consequences if any of you attack him first, either verbally or magically or physically." Hermione said, trying to prevent her reckless and rash male friends to do anything stupid. "_Hermione_?_ I mustn't let her first name cross my lips, for her safety and for mine. I must watch myself about this." _But he couldn't stop himself from calling her first name in his thoughts and when he was daydreaming or dreaming about her, he called her that too.

But her words didn't appease the boys, so George and Potter both tackled him to the ground, he couldn't fight them himself because they outnumbered him. Their little brawl ended quickly when Dolores Umbridge, who had been watching the matches, came to his rescue.

"Enough, boys. I'm banning you, Potter and Weasleys all from Quidditch for life, now give me your brooms and quick."

"What? Banned for life from Quidditch? Professor Umbridge, Malfoy provoked us."

"But you used physical violence against him, you deserve to be punished more than he does."

"But—"

"No buts, now, do you want me to give you detentions as well? No, well, give me your brooms." And he saw they wanted to rebel against her unfair punishment, but they gave them to her after a while of thinking things over.

He was then called to Dolores Umbridge's office awhile afterwards. He didn't know what she needed him for, but he saw several other Slytherins in there too, namely his sidekicks Crabe and Goyle.

"Professor, what did you want with us?"

"Well, I'm calling you here all to help me watch over the students who believe in Potter's story about Lord Voldemort, your missions will be to catch any students who do and to punish them severely, in any way you wish : detentions, taking off their housepoints and etc. You are going to be the Inquisitorial Squad and Draco will be your head. Now I'll give each of you a badge, which you will wear on your chest, and I'll be using it to call you whenever I need it."

"Yes Professor Umbridge, so our job is to get anyone who's pro-Potter, what about the staff?"

"I'll deal with the staff myself, do your job well, and there will be rewards for you. Now your first mission is to get those who read the Quibbler, the newspaper managed by the Lovegoods. They are writing positive things about Potter and co."

"And what about the daily Prophet, I saw one or two positive articles about the Golden boy in it?"

"No need to worry about it, the Ministry has regained control of the prophet, and they'll be writing slanders about Potter from now on. Now, off you go."

In a few days, he and the Squad successfully caught several students reading the Quibbler in the Great Hall and Draco took the paper away from them and punished them by either giving them detentions or whatever else. But Hermione was also reading it and this put him in some sort of dilemma. "_What should I do about it?_"

"Mudblood, you'd better give it to me yourself, I won't be giving you detentions though."

"And who gave you the power to do that?"

"None of your business, but see my silver badge right here, I'm head of the Inquisitorial Squad, who's responsibilities are to spot anyone who's publicly against the Ministry."

"The what?"

"Inquisitorial Squad, Mudblood, we are personally charged by Dolores Umbridge to catch any student believing Potter's lies about it."

"Including those who read the Quibbler?"

"Yes, particularly those who read the Quibbler, now hand it to me like a good girl or else, I'll be taking points off from Gryffindor as well."

"You can't take off points from her Malfoy, she's your fellow Prefect." Potter defended her, this made his jealous feelings towards the Golden boy even worse.

"But I'm the Inquisitorial Squad's Head, I can take off points from anyone I see who's against the Ministry. Oh and yeah, I forgot Potter, you aren't a Prefect, I'm wondering why the Weasel got this honour and not you?"

"Because Harry's got more important things to do, such like defeating your evil Master. And if I gave you my Quibbler, would you stop harassing us?"

"Me touching your hand directly would make mine dirty, so I wore gloves for the special occasion." This pained him to say it and it really got to him that she thought he was working for the Dark Lord, when he was doing the best he could for her side. _"But it's better this way_. _She_ _must never know how I really feel about this and her or else she'd be in danger_."

"Don't Harry, I'm fine. If you've finished lunch, let's go to the library for some reading." Hermione laid a calming hand on his shoulder, seeing her friend was going to do something physical to him.

After getting the Quibbler from Hermione and several other students, Dolores Umbridge burnt the copies and banned any journals other than the Daily Prophet. Some students however, were clever enough to not read it in public places and unknown to him and Umbridge, some even got it bewitched to look just like the Daily Prophet. But as Umbridge thought there was no more of them in the school, she gave them new responsibilities one night.

"So, I want you all to be extra careful, and to watch out if there's any student associations pro-Potter and anti-Ministry."

"So the Ministry's scared of a bunch of students?" He was too bold, he knew, but he was still a Malfoy, and even though on the outside, he was her lackey, on the inside, he hate the woman.

"Not scare, we just don't want anyone against the Ministry in school. So you've done good on the last job, so I'm giving you all extra housepoints each for it, 30."

"Thank you, Professor Umbridge, we won't disappoint you." He said with a slight bow. However, in his mind, he was mocking the Ministry's paranoia about this.

"I trust you won't, now you'll need to go to your Career Advice sessions soon, it's to help you with your career choice in life. I think it's going to be helpful for all of you."

After meeting with Umbridge and getting his second task, he was now going regularly to his Advice Career sessions, although he deemed them unnecessary for him, since he always knew what he'd be : a Death-Eater, whether he wanted it or not. But he still went to them, like a good 5th year would, since Umbridge especially told him to.

Since he didn't find anything suspicious about the Trio or any other students, whenever he reported to her, he said there wasn't anything particular in school. But he could see she was unsatisfied with him and pressured him to probe further into the student body and he did, with zeal, just to forget about his impossible love for Hermione. As much as he reminded himself not to call her that, even in his thoughts, he just couldn't help it. "_Hermione, Hermione, Hermione… why?_" He once said to himself before going to sleep. Under Umbridge's pressure though, he watched with extra care for any illegal student activities in the night, and he noticed some students disappeared regularly to some strange place, he tried to follow them around, he still could't know what they were up to and this worried him, because if he didn't have anything new for Umbridge soon, he might get punished too. _"Something's going on at night for sure, but what exactly?_" It irritated him to no end because he couldn't find out where those students went.

One winter evening, after a hot supper, when he was following the students, he overheard a private conversation between the Golden Trio about Arthur Weasley's imminent attack by Nagini. It was Potter who had a vision about it. He decided to join in their conversation for fun while they were asking him he was sure this wasn't just a dream.

"Could it be only a dream, Harry?" Weasel was saying.

"No, it's not a dream, Ron, I can assure you, it's a real vision. I saw your Father being attacked by Lord Voldemort's snake." "_Only Potter would be foolish enough to call the Lord by his full name_." He thought interiorly.

"Having nightmarish visions again Potter?"

"Malfoy, please leave, if you came just to annoy us."

"I was there for my Inquisitorial Squad's duties tonight when I accidentally stumbled upon your very interesting conversation about one of the biggest blood traitors in magical history."

"Stumbled upon? I don't believe you, Malfoy. You did it on purpose."

"No Granger, I didn't. And I guess your Father's going to be very ugly after being bitten by Nagini, his snake, but he should feel lucky my Master chose him. And I wonder if he's poisonous or not."

"Malfoy, why you, you—" He saw the Weasel's wand was at the ready for him and he still fell easily for his taunts and he liked every minute of it, since he was his main competitor for Hermione's heart. "_In 5 years, he hasn't grown up like the rest of them_." He commented in his mind.

"Never mind him, Ron. Please don't make me take off points from Gryffindor or give you detentions."

"But he provoked me, 'Mione."

"Did you hear what I said, Ronald Weasley? You drop your wand _now_." She said firmly and he seemed to listen to her, because he immediately did as she told him to.

"Now, that's a good boy, Weasel, I'm sure you don't want to hurt me."

"Whatever, Ferret boy."

He relished that moment for a long time afterwards and played it in his mind over and over again. "_My Hermione's a fair Prefect, why she'd even punish her fellow housemates, not many Prefects did that and that's one of the many reasons why I like her._"

With his mind on the girl he secretly liked but could never have and determined not be surpassed by anyone for his mid-terms, not even her, he didn't notice it was almost time for him to go back home for the winter holidays, but this year, he dreaded them, rather than wanting to go back home like before because it would mean for him to see the Dark Lord again, and he had to be extra careful around him with his thoughts about the girl of his dreams, because he was very talented in Legilimency, his Uncle Sev once told him.

And like every Christmas, he always got gifts from both his parents on Christmas. But today he couldn't enjoy the holiday as much as before since the Dark Lord's was in his home as he feared, and his snake-like red eyes were scrutinizing him, as if trying to read his thoughts and this creeped him out. Apart from his own Father, he was the only other person he was afraid of.

"So Draco, how have you been?"

"I've been well, Master, thank you for asking, you've been busy as well. I heard Potter and co talking about your plans to attack Arthur Weasley, is that true?"

"Potter knows about it? How?"

"Apparently by a vision of his, Master. May I know why did you want to attack him?"

"Draco, know your place." His Father scolded him.

"It's all right, Lucius, he's only a teenager after all. He does have a right to know. Since I've picked him to be my ears and my eyes in school. I've decided to get Nagini to bite Arthur Weasley because he's the one guarding the prophecy closely and with him out of the Ministry, it's going to be easier for us to get it."

"But they're going to be using someone else."

"Don't worry, he's one of us."

"You could have used the Imperius Curse on Arthur Weasley though, it would have been more subtle."

"No, I tried that before and he resisted the Curse well, because he's an accomplished Occlumens as well."

"Oh, I'm sorry for my bold words, then, my Lord."

"Don't worry, Draco, you are still young, I won't punish you for it, but next time, do mind what you say to me. And I've heard Dolores Umbridge isn't quite satisfied at school? Are you not doing your duties as Head of the Inquisitorial Squad?"

"I am doing my best to uncover any illegal student activities, my Lord, but they are clever."

"Doing your best isn't enough, I want them caught, I'm sure there are some secret organizations within the student body."

"Yes, my Lord." He had no other choice but to nod.

"The meeting's over, Merry Christmas to you all." Coming from him, for Draco, it was even more creepy.

If his Christmas got spoiled, he was at least able to relax at the New Year party, hosted by his family, as his Father's Master wasn't there and the House's atmosphere was much lighter and much more fun, although his crazy aunt was invited. And then, a few days after the New Year celebrations, he was back to school.

The first thing Umbridge did was to summon him again to her office via his badge, this time not looking very pleased.

"So, are you really sure there's nothing in the student body?"

"No, really, as calm as still water, Professor Umbridge. I really got nothing."

"And you, Crabe or Goyle?"

"We haven't got anything as well."

"I can't believe it, Draco, after you've told me you've seen the students disappearing somewhere."

"They are more clever than us, Professor Umbridge."

"Then be smarter than them, Draco and I want results or else."

"Yes Professor."

But it wasn't he or any Squad members or who discovered Dumbledore's Army, it was Marrietta EdgeComb who betrayed the Army. Umbridge told the Squad she went to her office in tears and confessed everything to her.

"That good Marrietta Edgecomb, she confessed everything about Dumbledore's Army to me on her own accord, but I still made her drink Veritaserum, just in case she lied to me about it."

"What is that, Professor?" asked Goyle dumbly.

"It's a student organization led by Potter. Potter's been teaching other students proper Defence against the Dark Arts and they've been using the Room of Requirement as a meeting place, as well as the Hog's Head Inn. Hence why I've banned Potter and co from Hogsmeade week-ends for life too."

"This must have hurt Potter a lot, but why would Edgecomb do that though, do you have any idea, Professor and what's the Room of Requirement?"

"Because even though most Ravenclaws believe in Potter and Dumbledore, her mother worked for the Ministry, and told her to help us as much as possible, probably she didn't want to lose her job, so that's why Miss Edgecomb was forced to betray the Army. Plus, when I saw her disfigured face in my mirror, I asked her what happened to it. Crying, Edgecomb told me all those who betrayed the Army would be jinxed to disfigurement. But to keep Potter in school, Dumbledore interfered again and said he was the organization's founder. So the Ministry wasted no time to sack him and instate me as the new Headmistress."

"Really? Dumbledore's no longer Hogwarts' Headmaster? Wow, how great for us. What are you going to do first thing as the Headmistress?"

"Put tighter control on the students evidently and there's going to be a curfew after 9, except for Squad members." She said as a matter-of-factly.

"Aren't you afraid they're going to rebel against you, Headmistress?"

"Do you think I can't handle a bunch of students, Draco? Are you underestimating me?"

"No, Headmistress, I don't dare."

Just as he predicted, some while following Dumbledore's dismissal, and the newly instated curfew after 9 and the student associations' banning, the Weasley twins led a student rebellion by setting off fireworks all around the place and not a single staff helped her catch the trouble-makers, so she had to use the Squad again.

"Draco and other Squad Members, catch them all. I want them in my office as soon as possible. Last time you failed to bring me Dumbledore's Army, this time I'm giving you all another chance to redeem yourselves in my eyes." He heard her arrogant voice through his badge.

"Yes, Headmistress."

However, Draco and his team were unsuccessful, because some other students such like Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom ambushed them and fought them, allowing the Weasley twins to escape from Hogwarts triumphantly flying on their brooms. In the ambush, some Slytherins got hexed and jinxed and even cursed and had to be sent straight to the Hospital Wing. He visited them from time to time and especially Pansy, if he didn't care about her in the romantic way, he still looked at her like a little sister. She of course, was pleased he had time for her.

"Pans, how have you been?"

"I've been better, Draco, thanks for visiting me."

"It's nothing, just get better soon."

"I thought you didn't care about me, Drake?"

"I don't in the way you want me to, but I still like you as a little sister."

"And that's enough for me, Drake. By the way, I know who you really like and I don't blame you in the very least for it."

"Who do I really like?"

"The Mudblood isn't it, Drake? Think you could hide it from me, eh?"

"Aren't you jealous of her?"

"I should be, but I'm not. And don't worry, you should know something about me, Drake I'm on your side, no matter what, so I won't report it to your Father or the Lord."

"Thank you, Pans. How did you—?"

"Know about it? Since last year at the Yule Ball. You were extremely jealous of Victor Krum, did you think I wouldn't see it, Draco? You should be more careful about it, don't let it show. And don't thank me for it, that's what sisters are for."

"You're a mature woman now, Pans, really thank you."

"You always thought me to be a little girl yes? Well, I'm a big girl now and I have someone else, so don't worry about me."

"Care to tell me who is it?"

"Theodore Nott. He asked me out in November and I said yes, but he's had a crush on me since first year, he told me."

"I'm happy for you both, Pans."

And he left her, feeling more at peace than ever and looking at her in a new light. But he didn't know his best mate Theodore Nott was doing this for him, the poor guy didn't have any real feelings for Pansy Parkinson.

After the Weasley twins left the place and his talk with Pansy, some students followed suit by dropping items such as stink pellets in Umbridge's office and he was mandated again to get the trouble-makers. This was made difficult for him however, because the Prefects let them, even Hermione Granger, the girl who didn't like rule-breakers, did. He had to talk to her about this.

Time flew by with his extra duties and lessons, and he had to admit, she was as driven by academic success just as he, but he didn't know it was because she wanted to prove it to him and to the whole wizarding world that Pure-bloods weren't better than Muggle-borns.

One fateful day he was on his way to the library, he bumped into her alone without Potter or Weasley and it was a golden opportunity for him to talk to her about this.

"Do tell me, Granger, why I am not seeing your side-kicks, Pothead and the Weasel?

"None of your business, Malfoy." She replied as icily as she could.

"And why have you been punishing the rule-breakers, you know Umbridge's unhappy about it. I thought you were a fair Prefect, hmmm?"

"Because the rules are unfair. Why aren't you or the Slytherins ever punished for it?"

"If I were you, Granger, I'd cooperate with Umbridge and us the Squad or you might lose your position as a Prefect."

"Thank you for your concern, but I don't care much to serve under Umbridge's dictatorship. Now if you'll excuse me, unlike you, I have homework to do and finals to study for. And that's the 3rd time you've called me Granger? What are you up to, Malfoy?"

"I figured since you didn't get annoyed by me calling that anymore, I'd stop."

"Wise move, Malfoy, now I'm going to the library, out of my way."

"But, that's where I'm going there too."

"Fine."

But he was saddened she couldn't know he was saying this because he was truly concerned about her. And a few nights after his fateful visit to the library, he and the Squad saw the 3 Gryffindors other Ravenclaws going in Umbridge' office late at night. "_That's my chance to get Umbridge's and the Dark Lord's trust even more_." He promptly contacted Umbridge via his badge.

"Headmistress, I've seen with my own eyes Potter and co going in your office, just some minutes ago. Now I don't know what they're doing there, but you should come quickly."

"Thank you, Draco, 100 points for Slytherin. I'm having a Staff meeting right now, though I'll be on my way to my office in a few. Now Professors and Staff, if you'll excuse me, I have some rule-breakers to catch."

He waited for her for a while and came in her office with her, seeing Potter and co and some other students already there, Hermione was with him too. "_Why did she come to? Wasn't she supposed to be the most intelligent witch ever? Why couldn't she use her wits?_"

"Potter, Potter, Potter, could you tell me what you were doing in my office so late at night?" She said nonchalantly. She waited for a moment, and said :

"No? Well, Snape, give me your Veritaserum draught, now."

"I can't, Headmistress, you've used the very last drop on Marietta Edgecomb?"

"Fine, and Potter, if you won't talk by yourself, I have other ways to make you talk, for example, the Cruciatus Curse, very effective—"

"Headmistress Umbridge, Dumbledore's having some secret weapon of some sort—" Hermione cut her off. "_Mudblood said_", he corrected himself, but he really didn't have the heart to call her that anymore.

"Really, where is it?"

"Follow me if you want to see it."

"Very well, lead the way. Draco and the Squad, guard them well and do something about them right away if they start anything fishy." He could only nod in response and couldn't look into her resentful chocolate eyes. "_I'm sorry, Hermione_." But she led them all in the Forbidden Forest. "_What are you playing at, Hermione_? _Why aren't you planning any escape route for you and your friends?_" He was asking himself, but he just followed them 3 closely behind in the Forbidden Forest and some time later, they were walking right into the Centaurs.

"Half-breeds, let us pass!" said Umbridge authoritatively.

"We don't take orders from nobody, Witch!"

At that scathing insult, the Centaurs got angry and did some terrible things to her, him and the Squad, since he and other Squad members took to being rude to the half-horse, half-men creatures, although he himself did that because he wanted to give her and her friends a chance to escape and they did escape when a giant got into the scene out of nowhere, screaming for "_Hager" _and assaulting Umbridge and his Squad team.

But after he Umbridge and the other Squad members were rescued out the Forbidden Forest by his Godfather and were brought to the infirmary, he didn't know how they got into the Department of Mysteries, and he wasn't there to watch them fight his own Father and other Death-Eaters nor Voldemort's duelling against Dumbledore. And much later on he knew from his Godfather, the Order of the Phoenix came on time to their rescue, but Sirius Black, his Mother's much hated cousin died at his aunt's hands. His Uncle Sev also told him his maternal aunt miraculously escaped from being captured, but his Father wasn't so lucky, he was put in Azkaban by the Golden Trio. Yet funnily enough, when he heard about it, he didn't hate them more for it, he actually felt grateful to them.

On the train back home for the long and _joyful_ Summer ahead, he was half-heartedly saying to them, just to keep up public appearances :

"Potter, Weasley, Granger, one day you'll pay for putting my Father into Azkaban."

"Well, Malfoy, your Father bloody hell deserved it. He was caught red-handed helping the Dark side, so he can't deny being a Death-Eater any longer. I suppose he bought the whole Ministry to stay out of Azkaban for this long." Weasley retorted wittingly. "_Even the Weasel isn't afraid of me anymore now that my Father's imprisoned_. _But I don't want to always live in his shadows._"

"Whatever, Weasel. Next year, the Dark Lord's going to free my Father. He always does this for his most loyal servants." But as Weasel didn't seem to hear him anymore, he just enjoyed the train ride back home quietly.


End file.
